Mugged, smacked and threatened: A photographer's night in Ferguson, MO

WAUKESHA/FERGUSON, MO (WITI) -- Nights of unrest, violence in the streets and a call for justice -- all captured with the snap of a camera. Waukesha photographer Abe Van Dyke got to Ferguson on Wednesday, August 13th.  He says Friday August 15th, he was caught in violence that escalated quickly.

"They're just standing up for what they believe in.  The main thing is I need to get the story out to people other than what you're seeing everywhere else," said Van Dyke.

He has documented protesters in the streets, law enforcement blocking roads, and tear gas filling the air.

"I was a good 50 feet away or so I was engulfed in tear gas and let me tell you, that stuff really burns," Van Dyke says.

Friday, Van Dyke was in the middle of a scary night. He was caught up in the escalation.

"It went from good to bad in a short period of time.  I was photographing and a guy came and just bam! Smacked me in the cheek. I got a nice little bump," said Van Dyke.

Minutes later, another man demanded his Kevlar helmet.  Van Dyke ran from the chaos.

"There was a ton of broken glass, still gunshots being fired off into the air, so I actually decided it was a good enough time to leave," said Van Dyke.

Van Dyke says getting the word out about Ferguson is important in order to help bring peace to the area.

"The biggest thing you`re not seeing is that the people are there just to show their support. It's not really the hatred towards cops and it's not a black-white thing either, it's more or less, they just want justice," said Van Dyke.

Van Dyke says he has been traveling around the city with other photographers.  He expects he'll head out of town as early as Sunday, August 17th.